By Deb Malatesta, ANSWER
Unity and fightback spirit were on display April 4, 2011, on the anniversary of M.L. King’s assassination. The Communication Workers of America (CWA) called for a National Day of Action in support of unions and working people across the US. The action took place on April 4, the anniversary of the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King in Memphis, Tenn., where he was organizing in support of striking sanitation workers.
From Madison, Wis., to Washington, D.C., to Illinois, more than 600 events were planned for this day of action with support from AFSCME, SEIU and other unions as well as local community and social justice organizations in a show of force in opposition to the attacks on working people.
In New Haven, nearly 150 people gathered on the Green and rallied to demand “Money for Jobs, Not for War.” They faced a gigantic rat figure labeled “Governor Rat Walker” in reference to Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker, who is seeking to make public employees pay more for their health care and pension benefits. The demonstrators marched to nearby Bank of America to demand an end to corporate greed and for money to be used for education, healthcare and jobs. Bill Hendersen, president of the CWA Local 1298, told the crowd, “The real villain is the banks. They’ve put the economy on the brink of collapse.” The protesters targeted Bank of America because it paid nothing in corporate taxes to the state last year.
Speaking of the legacy of Martin Luther King, who was killed while organizing in support of workers seeking the right to bargain collectively for a voice at work and a better life, Hendersen told the crowd, “The issues haven’t changed: injustice in the workplace, corporate greed has gotten even worse.”
The demonstration was organized by CWA, Teamsters, American Federation of Teachers and attended by students, workers and other progressive allies in solidarity with Wisconsin, Ohio, Indiana and dozens of other states where collective bargaining is under attack. Demonstrators also came to speak out about local issues.
Students from SCSU came out in response to proposed budget cuts to the Connecticut State University system that would combine community colleges with state universities. Lytasha Blackwell, a student in SCSU’s Women’s Studies program, said, “There will be tuition hikes for people who can’t afford to go to a four year school.”
The rally closed with demonstrators chanting “Corporate Greed” at Bank of America and “The people united, will never be defeated.”